ECE Students Prepare to Teach in the Classroom

In the month of September, Walnut Grove ECE students create lessons, build relationships, and welcome the Wee Warriors.
by Nala Porter and Marissa Mathis

Freshmen
What does a typical day in the classroom look like?

• Lily Bingham: "On non-teaching days, you're working on lesson plans, and if you are teaching, you're working with the kids."
• Ayla Coleman: “We start off by bringing the kids in and doing their morning journal, helping them out, getting them into their groups, taking them outside, and giving them snacks outside.”

What are the most challenging parts of ECE?

• Lily Bingham: “Staying on top of all your work and making sure you're doing what you need to do.” Ayla Coleman: “Finding a lesson and finishing your lesson on time.”

How do you build trust and strong relationships with your students?

• Lily Bingham: “By starting conversations or keeping them flowing.”
• Ayla Coleman: “I try to be positive even when they seem upset, and I always try to make them feel welcome and excited for class.”

How do you recognize each child's strengths and weaknesses?

• Lily Bingham: “By seeing what they know how to do and giving them word problems and reading examples to see how well they understand.”
• Ayla Coleman: “Doing different lessons for different kids. For the ones that are advanced, you can do harder lessons, and with the less advanced ones, you can take more time.”

Sophomores
What are the most challenging parts of ECE?

• Lily Kersh: “Getting your work done on time and staying on top of everything.”
• Maci Baldwin: “Getting your work done in a timely manner because there is a lot of work, and making sure that the kids learn everything by the end of the year.”

How do you recognize each child's individual weaknesses and strengths?

• Lily Kersh: “When you're teaching them, you just need to pay attention to see what they are good at and what they are struggling with, and try to make lessons that correlate with that.”
• Maci Baldwin: “I think teaching them throughout the year helps us learn what they can and can’t do and try to develop that with them.”

How do you build trust and strong relationships with your students?

• Lily Kersh: “You have to care for them, be there for them, and try to understand them and what they say.”
• Maci Baldwin: “Not babying them, but teaching them like they are older—just trying to be there for them and trying to teach them everything you can.”

What advice would you give to freshmen or people taking ECE 1?

• Lily Kersh: “Do all your work and stay on top of everything because it is hard, but it is really fun.”
• Maci Baldwin: “Get your work done and turn in your PLP on time.”

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